Booth display class for the farmers market

Farmers market vendors can get tips on how to set up their booths at a free seminar called “Booth Display for the Farmers Market” from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 19, at the Haywood Community College Student Center.

Booth operators will learn tactics to attract and engage customers, visual display tips, how to close the sale, easy change and discuss credit card options and efficient ways of setting up and taking down. Charles Hudson, product development chef at Sunburst Trout, will be the presenter. For more information or to preregister, call the HCC Small Business Center. 828.627.4512.

The Naturalist's Corner

This year will mark the 117th annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count (CBC.) The CBC is the longest-lived and largest citizen-science project in the world.

The count began in 1900. It was the brainchild of Frank Chapman, one of the officers of the fledgling Audubon Society. Chapman created the “bird census” as an alternative to the traditional Christmas “side-hunt,” a contest where groups would shoulder their arms and hit the fields and/or woods — the team that came back with the greatest number of corpses would be declared the winner.